What can I claim as a self-employed expense?
Not every cost of running a side hustle counts against tax. Pick the kind of cost and this tells you what the official list says, and what to check if the answer is not a plain yes.
What can I claim as a self-employed expense?
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The official list
gov.uk groups allowable expenses as office costs, travel, work clothing, staff and subcontractors, stock for resale, financial costs, premises, advertising and marketing, subscriptions and training related to the business.
Mixed use means the business share
A phone you also use personally, or a car you also drive privately, is only claimable for the business part. Work out a fair share and keep how you got it.
The allowance is instead of, not as well as
If you use the £1,000 trading allowance you cannot also claim your actual expenses. The checker asks which you are doing because the answer changes.
Figures for the 2026/27 tax year, checked 25 October 2026. Sources: Expenses if you're self-employed. An estimate, not advice. SideTill is not tax software.
Keep the number for every month
SideTill is the simple record of your side hustle: log the job, send the invoice, record the money when it comes in, and see whether the month actually made you money. It also shows your best month, so you can tell a bad month from a bad habit.
Get SideTill
No account. No sign-up. Your data stays on your phone. The basics are free to use.
Questions
What if my cost is not on the list?
Ask HMRC. Everyday clothing, fines and entertaining clients are not on the official list and are generally not allowable.
Do I need receipts?
Keep a record of every cost you claim. Photograph the receipt when you buy; SideTill does that and keeps the photo with the expense.
Can I claim things I bought before I started?
That depends on the cost and the timing. Check with HMRC before claiming anything bought before you started trading.